


043

by boomingvoice



Category: Popslash
Genre: Community: nick366, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-10
Updated: 2008-02-10
Packaged: 2017-11-20 17:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/587894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomingvoice/pseuds/boomingvoice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick lost a few things when Howie was taken off the market.</p>
            </blockquote>





	043

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bubbleforest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubbleforest/gifts).



> response to [this](http://community.livejournal.com/nick366/8069.html?thread=69509#t69509).

The first thing Nick lost was his wingman.

Howie hadn't been much good at backing Nick up in the first place, but once he was engaged things just went to hell. He'd stay by the bar, chatting with local guys, while Nick would crash and burn with girl after girl after _girl_. "Howie," Nick would whine at him later, and he, the bastard, would just shake his head at Nick and smirk.

"I'm done breaking hearts, Nicky," he'd say, with a dorky pride in the fact that he was a taken man.

Nick bit his tongue.

*

The second thing Nick lost was a doormat.

Maybe 'doormat' was unfair. Nick doesn't remember Howie letting him run roughshod over Howie. Brian disagrees. "Nick," he'd said when Nick voiced some annoyance with the crap Howie got away with, "you're a prick. You were a massive jerk to him, and he never called you on it. Let him wave a friggin' knife at you now, and be happy he's not stabbing you with it."

So maybe Howie'd been impressively patient with Nick. He'd slowly learned to retaliate over the years, which was annoying and sort of endearing, but then, post-engagement, he'd started _instigating_ , and this, Nick didn't know he could deal with. It was fucking irritating, for one, and for two--well, it was fucking irritating. Case in point: Nick would be sprawled across a sofa, and Howie would start pinching Nick black and blue to get Nick to move. Nick wasn't sure what was more maddening: what he was doing, or that it was Nick's moves he was stealing.

*

The third thing Nick lost was the majority.

By the end of 2007, the Backstreet Boys officially consisted of more married men than bachelors. Nick frowns a little, thinking, with Kevin gone, technically Nick could claim it was only a 50:50 split. But AJ's just _itching_ to defect, doesn't bother hiding it, and it's pretty hard to forget New Year's Eve. Nick's resigned to being the last man standing. Not that Nick minds, really--more women for him. The Nick Carter love machine's gonna be out of control.

*

The fourth thing Nick lost was wonderful.

It's been a month since Howie's wedding, and the Boys are in Hawaii. Nick kind of loves Jeff for this engagement, because it may be a working holiday, but it's a working holiday in fucking Hawaii. The sun is shining and Brian and AJ are pissing themselves over the golf they're getting in. Nick manages to drag Howie to the beach, and they spend the morning soaking in the sun and blue sky. Nick might've laughed a little at Howie's tanlines. Howie makes fun of Nick's shirt, and Nick tells Howie his daiquiri is gay. "Sure," Howie agrees, taking a long pull from the straw, and then goes to kiss his wife noisily. Leigh's heard the whole exchange and laughs.

By the time night arrives, Nick's wiped out. Some of the posse had left when the group decided to go surfing, taking a car with them, and it's with some dismay now that everyone realizes they'll have to fit ten people in one SUV. Nick's too tired to care, really, and hops in the trunk while everyone else figures out who goes where. Howie's laugh is the last thing he registers before he drifts off.

Seconds later, or so it feels, there's a bump and a click, and John, who's squished in across from Nick, groans in relief. "We're here, guys," Leigh says, and Nick blinks slowly. Someone nudges his leg.

"What?" Nick mumbles.

"Get up, Nick," Howie says, nudging again. "We're at the hotel." Nick takes Howie's hand when Howie holds it out, and Howie pulls him up. Nick doesn't let go until he's close enough to drape himself over Howie's shoulders. "Nick," Howie says, trying to shrug Nick off.

"I'm too asleep to walk," Nick says. And it's totally true too. Or was five minutes ago, at least. Howie rolls his eyes and heads to the hotel doors. Nick hangs on all the way to Howie's room. Howie tries to dislodge Nick again, but Nick doesn't feel like going, so he doesn't.

"Fucking octopus," Nick thinks he hears Howie mutter, and Nick kisses Howie's cheek. Howie finally gets the door open, and Nick deposits himself on the couch. Nick can hear the shower going. That must be Leigh, winning the race to the bathroom by a mile. It helps when you don't have an octopus stuck to you, Nick supposes. He yawns.

Howie sits down beside Nick. "I had fun today," he says, leaning back.

"Me too," Nick grins. "I didn't think you'd come out." He rests his head on Howie's shoulder.

"Why not?" Howie asks, shrugging futilely. Nick's head stays in place.

"Idunno," Nick says. "I thought you might wanna spend time with Leigh."

"I did. She was there, dummy."

"I _know_ ," Nick says. "But, like. You're married now. I thought you'd want to, you know. Not deal with other people. Or whatever."

"Nick," Howie's stopped trying to shrug him off.

"What?" Nick says, sitting up.

"Nick, nothing's changing, you know."

Nick doesn't know what to say to this. "That's stupid. Of course stuff is changing. You're married now. You'll do, like, married things. With her. And aren't you--I mean, in love? With her? Don't you want, uh, babies? And shit?"

Howie's shaking his head and smiling. "Yeah, Nick, but--nothing's changed. She's still--I'm still the same. Leigh and me--we've been together seven years. The married thing isn't--I'm not--," he stops himself. Tries again. "I'm still here, man. I'm not gonna leave you."

Nick opens his mouth to say something, and then shuts it and lean back against the couch. Nick remembers 2002, being alone on a video set. Brian's mad at him, AJ's passive aggressive, Kevin's disappointed, and Howie--Howie is _there_. Sweet D came to show his love. Nick opens his hands, closes them again. "Okay," he says.

"Okay," Howie says, and shifts closer, closing the space between them.

"Okay," Nick says again. Nick can feel something in him loosening. Maybe it's been there a month, or a year, he doesn't know, fuck, he didn't know it was there until he feels it falling away.

The fourth thing Nick lost with the marriage of Howie Dorough was his fear of losing Howie. That was really fucking cheesy, Carter, he thinks in disgust, and promptly bites Howie's shoulder. He gags. "Oh, nasty."

Howie laughs and smacks Nick. "You completely deserve a mouth full of sand, you fucking animal."


End file.
